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Saturday, April 23, 2011

The International - 2009

An Interpol Agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen), and his partner Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts), who is the Manhattan District Attorney, are both investigating the International Bank of Business and Credit, aka IBBC, with the belief that the bank is involved in an illegal business of weapon trading. Their investigation leads them to Milan, where they meet someone named Umberto Calvini, and he explains that the IBBC is interested in buying a missile guiding system that is made in his factory. But then when Calvini is assassinated, Salinger and Whitman must go back to New York tracking down the killer. The two will soon find that the bank is very protected by legal systems, and the only way to bring any sort of justice to this corrupt world will be if Salinger takes matters into his own hands.

The International is a thrill ride of a film that is sure to confuse you before the credits roll. I mean, If you thought Inception was confusing then you might as well not even think of picking The International up, because I assure you that your head will be spinning much more than it was during Inception. As confirmed by the many critics of the world, the plot is quite preposterous, but in this case that might not be such a bad thing. For many it will hurt the film, but I thought it was alright here. In fact, I actually somewhat enjoyed the story. Yes, it is preposterous, but we learn to forgive the preposterous when it brings a highly entertaing, satisfying film to the table. And that is just what Tom Tykwer and Eric Warren Singer did when they made The International. I know we often get lost in trying to find the bad in a film, rather than the good, but movies were originally meant to entertain people, and I cannot deny that The International was about as entertaining as they come nowadays.

Tom Tykwer is not a director that I am very familiar with. Though all were acclaimed, none of his films interest me very much. However, after seeing The International I have decided to give a few of them a go. Tykwer's direction was probably my favorite, and the most impressive part of this film, especially in the beginning as he developes through the story, and introduces the characters. The early opening scenes are very important, and well done as well, mainly the first. It entirely draws the audience into the film to the point where we are sitting at the edge of our seats just to see what is next, while nothing has even happened yet in the film. Then he leads us up to the absolutely incredible action sequence, which was really quite unforgettable as far as action goes, and heads into the climax. For me, though, this part of the film I did not like as much. The last thirty minutes just did not work very well, and I would have liked a more well crafted ending, which is not at all what the viewers get here. That is no doubt my biggest complaint, the film works very well by the credits, but the ending was less than satisfying in my opinion.

The International stars two famous, but not always liked actors, Clive Owen and Naomi Watts. I honestly cannot figure out a specific reason, but I usually tend to really enjoy Clive Owen on screen. I personally feel that he is a very talented, and underrated actor. He has only been nominated for an Oscar once, and I do not think that actually shows how talented he is. And his performance in The International was good, if not great for an action film. He and Naomi Watts may suffer from a weak script, which does put some pain to their performances, but the both of them give strong performances in their roles for the film. I normally hate the acting in action films, but here I could enjoy it. Probably because the screenplay had a great mix of action and drama, only putting more strength into the somewhat lacking story.

Overall, if you are looking for a brainless action thriller that's easy to watch, I would suggest looking someplace else. The International is both thrilling, and has a brain, even if it has a wild story to it. The plot was a little weak in that area, but impressive direction from Tom Tykwer fixed that. Owen and Watts give good performances, and along with some fantastic action sequences, The International is pure entertainment.

I read somewhere that there was talk of Owen being the next Bond after his performance in this. A bit hasty as Daniel Craig hasn't given up the reigns yet and when he does I think Owen may be just a bit too old for the part by then.

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I am a 16 year old American and amateur film critic that loves movies. I look at them not as entertainment, but as art. The way I critique films may not always be considered "proper", because that is not my goal. I have made this blog to improve my knowledge of cinema, and share my opinions along the way.